Prelude:


It was January 2011 and I was preparing for my August 2011 DIY Dall sheep hunt. I had just received my custom Bansner rifle and had posted a thread in the Alaskan Hunting Forum. Arjun Reddy saw my post on my new sheep rifle and PMed me asking if I'd ever thought about taking an ibex hunt?..........well yes I had! I knew my cousin Matt had expressed interest in hunting ibex on several occasions, so I figured I might have a partner to go with me. After some inquiries with Arjun it all seemed reasonable, so I contacted my cousin Matt who was in from word one! After a bit of talking we decided to invite my uncle Tom and cousin Andrew as well. So it was to be a foursome!......and that lasted for about a month......My cousin Andrew is a very busy business man and a fair weather hunter at best. The prospect of hunting and spending time with family was appealing, but the details of weeks away from his business and a hard mountain hunt at high elevation were not! Soon we were three.

Now I've been reading African hunting books for going on twenty years. I'm hardly an expert, but I've certainly read my fair share and had accumulated a healthy library to boot. Asian reading?....not so much! I realized my dearth of knowledge and reading on the subject of Asian hunting and began to buy and read books as well as speak to every experienced hunter I could find (Which turned out to be quite a few in the Anchorage vicinity and I am lucky for that!). I piled through Royal Quest, Song of the Summits, Obsessed!, and Ovis Ammon (in which was a picture of my guide to be Renaud). It didn't take more than a few months, some reading, a bit of dreaming, and a few longing gazes at those marvelous spiraling horns before I was contacting Arjun about the possibility of upgrading my hunt to a Marco Polo sheep and ibex combo hunt......I mean after all I'm already paying for the plane fair!!! Sure enough a permit was available, the price right, and the schedule would allow.

Spring 2012 I called my uncle Tom to check on his progress with physical training and found out his wife had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. He was concerned about leaving the country with her condition and treatment still in the air. Arjun was most understanding and canceled his hunt immediately without giving a second thought to refunding his deposit. Now we were two. In my hunt contract I had specifically said that Renaud must be my guide. So with just the two of us hunting Renaud would hunt Matt and I 2x1.

Through the summer I tweaked my gear which luckily was mostly accumulated from my hunts in state. I tried to shoot on a regular basis and do the occasional hiking or biking session. I also contacted a local horse riding instructor to give me a few lessons. I've been on a horse before, but not with the duration or frequency that I was about to experience. By October 1st I was pretty well dialed in and spending most of my time readying my practice for me leaving and doing odds and ends with my responsibilities as hunt co-ordinator for my local SCI chapter banquet.

Time was moving quickly and my hunt was coming ever nearer. My flight was to leave October 18th at 1am. On October 16th Arjun called with some bad news. Natalie, Renaud's wife, has had breast cancer for a while now and within the last week had taken a turn for the worst. Renaud was hoping to make it and planned on going on the hunt until the last minute when she was admitted to the hospital and he realized he just couldn't leave. I was totally understanding of his situation and he said he would fly another guide Jacques out to meet Matt and me.


D Day:


October 17th came with me working a full day in my office from 10am-7pm. I managed to find a space between patients to finish packing and headed to a ski patrol meeting after work to take a break and not think about packing and preparation after days of non stop preparation. My girlfriend dropped me off at the airport and I was able to check my bags all the way to Istanbul, Turkey. At 1am I boarded my plane for Salt Lake City and on from there to New York City's JFK Airport. I met Arjun Reddy outside the Delta terminal and we headed over to Turkish Airlines' terminal and had lunch together. I had an 8 hour layover planned for JFK, so I made myself at home at Starbucks and worked on rereading Eljin Gate's A Trophy Hunter in Asia.

With 3 hours to go I was finally allowed to get my boarding pass and pass through security. I quickly found my terminal and fell asleep on the floor using my hunting pack/carry on bag as a pillow. Two hours later I woke up and in a half dream state heard my name.........or did I? I gathered my senses and realized that "blaaa blaaa blaaa Brett Barringer blaaa blaaa blaaa" over the loud speaker probably was something that needed my attention. The ONLY words I could understand were my name, but I had a feeling it had something to do with me traveling with a firearm. I looked for a Turkish Airlines agent near by my gate, but couldn't find anyone. I walked back towards the security check point looking for a representative or help desk and could find neither. I asked a TSA agent at the security check point if there was a way he could contact the Turkish Airline desk outside of security.......he was less than helpful. So was the next person I asked. Finally I realized I needed to go back out of security even though I had less than an hour until my flight started to board. I made it to the Turkish desk in time to find out they needed me to check my firearm with NYPD before passing it on to Istanbul. I explained that I was in a hurry and needed to get back through security and was informed my gun would be here shortly......right about then it occurred to me that no one had mentioned ammunition. I asked if I needed ammunition to check and was greeted be a look of confusion followed by "Where is it?". Me, "In my checked luggage.....(of course)". A call soon had the luggage handlers scrambling for my duffle bag to find my ammunition. After a few minutes my bags appeared and soon after that so did the NYPD. NYPD gave me the thumbs up and my bags were rechecked. A Turkish Airlines rep walked me to the front of security and I was to my gate in time to board my plane. I've been under whelmed over the last few years by our domestic flight service, so I was pleasantly surprised to be back with the hospitality on an international air carrier. Turkish is as great an airline as any I've been on including Kiwanis and KLM.


Europe Meets Asia:


I booked my flights through Steve and Susan at Travel With Guns http://www.travelwithguns.com . Susan recommended I use Istanbul for Hunters for handling my gun through Turkish Customs and consider using their services for a guided trip. At $50 a day for a guided tour including any admissions I agreed. She also said they had reasonable rates through a local hotel they had worked with and booked me for $150 US per night, which included breakfast.

I hit the ground in Istanbul around 4pm local time 30 hours and almost no sleep after departing Anchorage. I got my VISA and headed to the baggage pickup. I stood there for quite some time in a sleep deprived/jet lagged stupor waiting for my bags before I looked over to my left and noticed a middle age Turkish man standing behind a baggage cart carrying ALL of my baggage! "Hi! I'm Brett Barringer." Hi! I'm Arda and I'll be your guide." We worked our way into a separate secure part of the airport where we filled out paperwork and had my gun and ammunition checked and stored. I met a few of Bob Kern's (The Hunting Consortium) clients on their way to Tajikistan. They were checking their guns when I got there.........and still doing it when I left.......Arda was good!!! We made it to the parking lot where we met his boss Hakan who would ride with us part of the way back towards my hotel. Hakan was a good guy and a hunter. After some idle conversation it turned out Hakan and I had some mutual friends and acquaintances in the hunting community.....it's ALWAYS a small world!!!

Arda and I dropped Hakan off and continued on toward my hotel the Recital Hotel in historic Istanbul overlooking the Marmara Sea. Unfortunately it was a Friday night and I was soon to find out Friday = traffic! Under normal driving conditions my hotel would have been a 20-30 minute drive. Unfortunately it was Friday night and 3 hours later we pulled up at my hotel and unloaded my baggage. I settled myself in and ordered some food to my room. After a shower, lamb shish kabobs, and a few EF ES beers I was out like a light.

Unfortunately 4 AM rolled around and I was up for good......ah jet lag! I flipped through channels in just about every language imaginable. One of my finds on a music channel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...ture=player_embedded

Here was the view from my hotel balcony.



Finally 7:30 rolled around which meant I could have breakfast in the lobby. Breakfast is a bit different than what we're use to in the states............











It consisted of many cured meets, fresh fruit, dried fruit, cheeses, marinated soft cheeses, olives, toast, juice, and Turkish Coffee! It was a great meal!

My guide Arda picked me up shortly after I finished breakfast and we drove to a little cafe overlooking the Bosphorus Straight. On the way there we stopped and looked at the city walls that still stand in many parts of Istanbul.



At the Cafe I saw the biggest damn aloe plants I've ever seen!



Here's the Cafe.



The view of the Bosphorus.





We sat and talked about the layout and history of Istanbul while looking at a map and enjoying Turkish coffee.

From there we headed on to the Suleymaniye Mosque. Here's a picture of my guide Arda at the entrance.



The Mosque



















We then went to the Hagia Sophia.



























We walked on from there to the Blue Mosque.





















Afterword we walked to the Hippodrome.









We then went to the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum.

Beard hairs from the prophet Muhammad.



Various Sultans' Palace Rugs.















From there we drove to Nakkas rug shop. I looked at rugs, but most of them were contemporary and I decided to pass. Below is a young woman who was creating a rug.



We then went to the Grand Bazar.



We walked for some time and were able to find a rug I liked.



The next day Arda returned with a driver and met me at my hotel. We went to a spot overlooking the harbor and city to take photographs.

Here's Arda and our driver.



The view.



From there we went to a Starbucks......yes Starbucks on the Bosphorus Straight and had coffee while the boats went by.

The view from Starbucks.



The city walls.



Walking around Norhtern European Istanbul.

Greek Orthodox Church.







Walking Around.

















The Galata Tower.



We stopped for Baklava.





The harbor and spice market.









Arda, the driver, and I had a fantastic lunch and they dropped me off at the airport. Arda came in with me to make sure firearm handling went smoothly. I was past security in no time and met my cousin Matt who had just arrived from JFK to continue on with me to Bishkek.

*****NOTE*****

I would HIGHLY recommend visiting Istanbul and touring with Istanbul for Hunters!!! I had a wonderful trip there. Arda my guide was AMAZING! His knowledge of history, knowledge of driving shortcuts, organization, and efficiency was off the charts! Istanbul is a beautiful modern European city. The Turkish people were very friendly, helpful, and tolerant. The food was incredibly flavorful and well spiced. The sights were a melting pot of history and I enjoyed it all. There's also fabulous shopping available. I will return to Turkey for sure!


Kirgizia:

We arrived in Bishkek very early in the morning and were shuffled into the VIP lounge to await our firearms clearing customs. There were some beautiful carving in the lounge.









A driver arrived with a woman who between them spoke enough English to let us know we were headed to a hotel from the airport. It took a bit to get the paperwork together and we were on our way. I wasn't sure why we were headed to the hotel instead of driving out to the hunting area, but I suspected it had something to do with Jacques my guide not having arrived yet. Unfortunately the driver and the woman with him either didn't know or didn't know enough English to explain to me what was going on. I was able to get their boss' number and finally figured out that Jacques would arrive first thing in the morning the next day. It was the first available flight from Paris. That was to be our first hunting day, but I had planned a 10 day hunting itinerary, so I could afford to lose a day. Besides it would offer me a day to tour Bishkek.

View from the hotel




Matt and I were dropped off at the Dostuk (Friendship) Hotel in downtown Bishkek. The hotel wasn't much, but it certainly met our needs and was reasonably priced. The Hyatt Hotel is also in the same area and is probably the "Best" hotel in the country. It also runs $350 a night.........ours was about $100 a night for a double occupancy room which included breakfast. I was also told there are other hotels just as nice as the Hyatt, but not as expensive if one requires more atmosphere.

The weather was beautiful (50-60 degrees F), so we spent the day walking around Bishkek people watching and checking out the sights. We had asked a younger man working the our hotel front desk before leaving where he would recommend we eat lunch. We got the general ideal of where the restaurant was from our hotel and the approximate pronunciation of the restaurant. After walking around all morning Matt and I started getting serious about finding the restaurant he had recommended to us. His directions it turned out....or at the very least our understanding of his directions....were a bit vague. We walked around all over the place and couldn't find it. Finally on the verge of giving up and going somewhere else we stumbled upon a building with a sign on it that looked about right..... We walked in the front door and things didn't look right. Matt and I looked at each other and decided perhaps it was upstairs? We walked up the stairs and quickly realized we were at a bath house!!! We back tracked out of there in a hurry through a barrage of strange looks and made our way to the nearest restaurant for lunch!!!

That night we took a cab to the Blonder Pub. It wasn't exactly traditional Kyrgyz food, but it was REALLY good! They had a brewery with fairly ok beer and fabulous food. The lamb, rabbit, lobster, and Greek salads were fabulous! It was also very reasonably priced.

The next day we packed our gear, had breakfast, and were ready and waiting in the lobby for our ride to the mountains. They arrived at 9am as planned and we were loaded into a van with a middle aged man with wild blondish gray hair. Of course it was Jacques. Jacques was a pleasant enough guy and I enjoyed asking him about his hunts throughout Europe and Asia. We drove straight East from Bishkek headed toward the South shore of Lake Issyk Kul. At mid day we stopped at a roadside cafe for lunch.

Matt, Jacques, and I


Mike (interpreter), Driver, Jacques, Matt


We continued after lunch driving along the South shore of the lake until we stopped at the town of Barskoun to meet a Toyota SUV that would take us the rest of the way.

North Tian Shan Mountains


Looking across the lake to Kazakstan


Livestock crossed the road everywhere between Bishkek and our turn off from the lake


Switching vehicles


The Naryn:

The driver of the Toyota SUV was Norbek a hunting guide and the manager of the Ulan River base camp where we would stay. After changing vehicles we turned South away from the Lake Issyk Kul toward the Naryn River Valley. The sights were beautiful driving up to 13,215 foot Bones Pass and then coming down into the Naryn River Valley. Bones Pass gained its name from the skeletons found along the pass from people who died escaping the communist revolution. The road itself was built for the Canadian owned Kumtor Gold Mine which we passed along our drive. We had to stop at the Karasai military camp along the way, so Norbek could have our paperwork checked. We entered in the Naryn River Valley late in the evening and finally arrived in camp after dark.

Driving toward the pass


Stopping at the Karasai check point




The Naryn River Valley behind us with a herd of yak on the left


The Naryn River




After Matt, Jacques, and I settled our things in our rooms we made our way to the cook vehicle and ate dinner. Over dinner Norbeck discussed the plan of attack for the next day. He thought we should split up instead of hunting together due to the fact that I was hunting sheep and Matt was hunting ibex. Norbek wanted to take me with two other Kyrgyz guides up the Ulan River drainage for sheep while Matt, Jacques, and a Kyrgyz guide would look for ibex at the Burgunty camp which lay in a drainage immediately North across the Naryn River from the Ulan River drainage. Jacques and I were concerned about me having to trust the Kyrgyz's ability to field judge my animals. We were to leave in the afternoon, so Jacques and I held our tongues and waited until the morning. After a night of thought and discussion with Jacques we decided the best course of action would be for me to specifically request that Jacques stay with me. I did so and Norbek was more than willing to accomodate my reasonable and polite request. I found this was an important point throughout the hunt. Several times throughout the hunt Jacques and I would have concerns about something and the best way to deal with it was to have me as the paying client/guest request what I wanted in a polite fashion. Always Norbek and his staff where more than willing to accomodate my requests. Hearing him out and then making a suggestion with tact made all the difference in the world.

The Hunt:

Camp










After breakfast I spent the morning readying my gear for spike camp in the mountains. Fuel in camp is in the form of dried cow dung.

Renewable energy source


Energy transport


Energy store


In use


Early in the afternoon Matt, his Kyrgyz guide Baja, and interpreter Mike rode out of camp for the Burgunty camp. Later in the afternoon Jacques, Norbek, Irgiz, Gergal, and I loaded the horses and began our ride South up the Ulan River drainage from base camp. Jaques is in his late forties and an experienced guide around Asia. This would be his 3rd or 4th Marco Polo hunt in Kyrgyzstan. He had also hunted Nepal, Kazakstan, China, Russia, Tajikistan, and Azerbijan. Norbek is pushing 60 and old school from the communist Russian years. He was the head guide for my hunt. Gergal is a very nice 40 year old family man with a good sense of humor and a calm careful disposition. His role was horse wrangler and assistant guide. Irgiz is a 17 year old assistant guide in training and horse wrangler. He is a nice kid, but has the patience and judgement of a 17 year old. He's very strong, great with horses, and a hard worker.

Horses ready


After 4 hours of riding we eventually set up our first spike camp and rode up the drainage glassing for ibex and sheep.

1st Spike Camp




That evening we found a number of female ibex and young males, but no mature billies. We also saw sign of sheep in the snow, but couldn't find the sheep. That night was a rather cold one and I had to put on another layer to keep comfortable. The next day we were out early. We saw more female ibex and sheep sign, but no sheep or large billies. That evening we moved spike camp closer to the mouth of a nearby drainage with the intent to hunt up that drainage for ibex in the morning.

Jacques sucking wind


Ibex in the middle moving up the mountain






2nd Spike Camp






The morning of the third day we woke early and rode up the steep drainage looking for ibex. We spotted a group of females and quickly dismounted to look them over. Jaques and I snuck to a nearby rock and glassed for hidden billies. Suddenly a respectable billie jumped up into view. The Kyrgyz were adamant that I shoot him immediately. Jacques and I were in much less of a hurry. I looked at him and we both agreed he wasn't huge, but average. After some deliberation we decided to get out Jacques' video camera and take him on film for a video since we had another ibex permit available to look for a bigger male. Jacques readied the camera and gave me the range at 319 meters. The billy was sky lined perfectly on the side of the mountain in front of us with the sun behind him. I found him in my scope and squeezed the trigger. He bucked at the shot, but was still in view on the same rock outcrop. I worked the chamber and shot again. After the second shot he went out of sight around the side of the mountain. Irgiz went up and couldn't find the billy or any sign of blood. I was very concerned due to the relatively short distance of the shot and the fact that I had a good rest. We watched the video footage and saw him buck again which seemed like he must have been hit. Jacques and I began to walk around the base of the mountain to get a better view and our mistake became clear. The outcropping of rock the billy stood on was on the second ridge line back at 460 meters and not on the closest ridge line at 319 meters. Jacques had accidentally ranged the first ridge rather than the billy and I had shot under him. After taking a break for snacks and tea we rode the rest of the way up the drainage seeing more nannies and small billies. I expressed to Norbek that I was concerned that we still had not seen a sheep of either sex and it was the end of day 3. He agreed that we should head back to base camp that night and change area in the morning to dedicated sheep habitat.

Norbek and Gergal taking a break after my missed shots.









It's important to note that sheep habitat and ibex habitat are NOT the same. Sheep habitat is rolling grassy mountains. Ibex habitat is from difficult rocky terrain to impossible rocky terrain! Some drainages had sheep terrain on one side and ibex terrain on the other side. Other drainages were just sheep or just ibex habitat.

We rode out of the drainage and made spike camp just before dark. We ate some food, packed up camp, and rode off for camp on our horses. Norbek and Gergal rode ahead while Irgiz stayed back with Jacques and I while we fumbled through the dark. As we drew closer to base camp the horses picked up the pace. It was exhilarating galloping through the Ulan River bottom in the dark under the stars! It was exciting and I enjoyed it very much!

The next morning Irgiz and Gergal woke early and rode our horses East down the Naryn River Valley where local shepherds had seen sheep over the last several days. After breakfast Jacques, Norbek, and I hopped in the Toyota and drove down the Naryn River Valley to meet the horses at day break. It was snowing at day break and the wind was beginning to pick up. As we broke into the top of the mountains we gazed upon our first Marco Polo Sheep!!! There was a herd of 2 young rams and 10 ewes and lambs. After 3 days of not seeing sheep and beginning to have doubts there they were!



We continued to ride along the South side of the Naryn River headed East toward the Karakolka River and Karakolka River base camp. Along the way we continued to see herd after herd of Marco Polo Sheep with the same end result.....no mature rams!











We rode 20-25 kilometers through the mountains and saw approximately 70 sheep that day. Finally at 2:30pm Irgiz spotted a group of rams bedded WAY up inside a bowl in a near inaccessible location.



My ram is on the far left in the back.


One look through the spotting scope confirmed that the ram on the far left in the back was a shooter. I couldn't see his left horn, but the right looked great. Based off his depth of curl and flair I estimated him to be about 52". Bolshoi!!! We started to discuss the plan of attack and the choices were wait until they get up and feed and hope the feed toward us or go after them. It was already 3pm and the rams were a little over a mile away. The likelihood of them feeding towards us and covering a mile before dark.......if they would cover that distance was minimal. Jacques and I decided the only plan of attack was to drop ground from where we were and move behind the mountain to the left of the bowl in which the sheep were bedded. Jacques, Irgiz, and I set out to attempt a stock on the rams while Gergal and Norbek stayed behind to keep an eye on the rams.

The going was very slow. Snow had drifted in areas which made it tough to walk in some spots and risky in other areas where rock fields had been covered. I'd walk about 30 yards and be completely winded. 15 seconds rest later and I was breathing normally. Another 30 yards and I would have to rest again. I wasn't out of shape or tired. It was the altitude. 3 hours later with 30 minutes of day light to spare we were finally 600 yards from the rams and out of cover. I didn't like the distance with the wind coming and going. Our options were to back out and come back tomorrow or wait and see if they got up before dark and moved toward us. I decided to stay and see what happened. We were confident they would get up to feed before dark, but where they would go was hard to say. There was a low spot immediately in front of them and we might have a chance to move in on them IF they all stood up and fed down into the depression. Any other move wouldn't work. Time ticked by and finally one of the young rams began to stir and stood up. Then another ram stood up. I was starting to get hopeful when they both walked toward the depression.....but then they bedded down again!!! Finally with no more than 10-15 minutes until dark all the rams stood and began to feed into the depression and out of sight. Once out of sight we moved forward 150 yards to the closest place where I could get a solid rest. We waited for the rams to feed into view, but they didn't.

Irgiz was beginning to get frantic and wanted us to move forward. Jacques and I could not communicate to him that due to grass, snow, and the lay of the land the next rest for my gun was easily 100 or more yards away and we were afraid we would be caught out in the open if we tried to get there. He just could not understand that. Finally light was fading at an alarming rate and I realized it was move forward and make something happen or no dice. We snuck forward along the rocks and crept over the top of a ridge spotting the sheep at about 300 yards away. It was so dark I had trouble finding the right ram. I cranked my scope up to 18x and managed to narrow it down to 2 of the rams. Finally with almost no light left I saw the ram I was viewing turn his head highlighting that familiar flair and curl agains the snow. The range was 280 yards. I settled in and waited for him to turn perfectly broadside. Suddenly I heard Jacques say you need to shoot now! One of the smaller rams has spotted us and is walking off...........BAM!!! It was so dark I couldn't see if the ram reacted to the shot or where it was hit, but I heard the unmistakable sound of a hit......WHOP! The sheep was running up the mountain in front of us with another ram. I cycled my bolt and missed a hasty shot. He changed direction across the face of the mountain and as I raised my rifle again he turned straight up hill. I saw my expensive wounded ram running up hill and aimed for the center of his neck to anchor him as he ran straight away. BAM! He fell like the hand of God had struck him. I was jubilant! I couldn't believe it! He was down! Jacques, "He's back up! Shoot him again!" I was in disbelief! How could he be back up? I cycled the bolt again and sighted on his neck once more as he ran straight away up hill. BAM!....and again the same result! This time he stayed down for good! I was overtaken by emotion. I couldn't believe what had just happened. I had traveled half way around the world to hunt one of the most magnificent animals on earth and here I was successful. It took us 3.5 hours to stalk over a mile to him and I shot the ram at just over 12,500 feet elevation. What a dream!

The ram fell over 300 yards away, but by the time I reached him it was pitch black. His horns where impressive, but really I was taken back by the shear size of his body. They are HUGE sheep! Long legs, long bodies, and he weighed at least 300lbs. They are easily half again as heavy as Dall sheep and way larger in frame. My first shot was high through the lungs and ultimately would have killed him. The second shot that dropped him in his tracks to my dismay hit the top base of the left horn. No wonder the dramatic affect! The third and final shot had taken him right through the neck and killed him immediately. Unfortunately it made a bit of a mess when it exited. Gergal rode our horses to us and we set to the task at hand. Jacques took many pictures of me and my sheep with his camera. I didn't take pictures with my camera until the next day at camp.



We skinned, gutted, cut in half, and loaded the sheep on our horses. Jacques and I had headlamps and flashlights that we all used to ride down the mountain in the dark. In the mean time Norbek upon hearing my shots rode his horse down the mountain, back to the Toyota, and then drove it all the way back to us. He was waiting in the river valley for us when I finally made it down the mountain at 10pm.

This is a picture of the actual spot on the mountain where I shot my sheep taken on the drive out after the hunt. The red line shows the route of our stalk from the area where we spotted him to where I finally shot him.


We returned to camp at 11pm after a hour drive. After a warm meal we decided to take the next day off to rest, take care of the ram, and reflect on the events of the past day. I think we all needed a break after that hard day

Great report. Amazing detail!! Wonderful pictures.

Can't wait for the rest.

Cheers
Jim

You're killing' us here!

Part 2

The next day I slept in late and took a sauna shower after breakfast. I felt like a new man! Later in the morning I went to the skinning shed to see what was happening with my sheep. With regard to trophy care and skinning ability I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the ability of both Irgiz and Gergal. I had heard horror stories from taxidermists and fellow hunters. I went there fully prepared to do everything myself if needed or at the very least keep a close eye and hand on the proceedings from start to finish. It was not needed. With these guys there was NO concern. I gave them some basic guidance on exactly where I wanted the cuts to be for a full cape, but they did it all with extreme precision and care. I also sat in on part of the turning of ears, eyes, nose, and lips. They did wonderful there as well. Having my extremely sharp pairing knives and sharpener made all the difference in the world. That said I have heard enough horror stories about trophy care that I would go with the same mindset as I did. Go on the hunt prepared with enough knowledge and the right equipment necessary to do it all yourself. If you luck into very skilled and professional skinners like I did then all the better. I gave Irgiz and Gergal my knives and sharpener as part of their tip. They were absolutely thrilled!

Later that day my cousin Matt rode in with his guide Baja and interpreter Mike. He had taken 2 ibex and was a little tipsy from drinking a bottle of vodka with local herders. Matt was riding past their house toward base camp with his horns tied to his horse when they saw him, so they invited him in for a celebratory drink or two......

Matt had some bad luck on his hunt, but was still able to get two ibex. On the second day of his hunt he was on a mountainside and walking around the back side of his horse when he slipped and twisted his knee. After that walking was painful and especially down hill. Also the scope on his gun had completely failed on him. He missed an ibex at a very makable range for him. It was 450 yards with a perfect rest, calm wind, calm breathing, a calm head, and at a known distance. I'm not a bad shot at all, but Matt is by far a better shot than I am. This was a give-me shot. He rode back to his spike camp and checked the zero of the rifle. 6" high at 100 yards......ouch! He brought the scope down and that was that. The next day he had another ibex in his sights with the same result. Back at the range 6" low at 100 yards. After adjusting it up he shot again and it shot 8" high and to the left. Unfortunately there wasn't another gun or scope around, so he went back out trying to get as close as he could to ibex with his still painful knee. Finally on the last day he lucked into a successful shot and took a billy through the chest. Another jumped up in the open and he took it as well although it needed a finishing shot. He also had some issues with trophy judging. His guide Baja was very good in that he knew where the ibex where. He also knew how to stock them and get you in range, but he was rather indiscriminate with trophy judgement. That seems to be a cultural issue I ran into as well with the Kyrgyz. Jacques and I had a running joke about Norbek's ibex judging. Take off 10cm (4") from what ever he tells you and start from there. Matt and I enjoyed argali steaks over dinner and Norbek layed out the plan for the next day. We would return to the Ulan River drainage tomorrow where we had hunted the first 3 days of our hunt. Jacques and I were not very excited about his plan, but we bit our tongues. I had't seen many male ibex and none of them had been better than a 1 meter (40") in the first 3 days. It's true that there was another drainage we hadn't looked in, but Matt had seen male ibex every day including a group of billies that contained a real monster. After talking it over by ourselves I decided to bring it up to Norbek and he consented to go across the Naryn to Burgunty camp where Matt had hunted.

Matt and I went to sleep relaying our hunting stories to each other. I woke the next morning sick with digestive issues. I even vomited once outside to the delight of the local dogs. I decided to come off my altitude meds and go on cipro (antibiotic) and imodium. I spent the morning in bed drinking as much water as I could. By mid day I was feeling a bit less sick and wanted to make the ride to Burgunty camp, so that if I felt up to hunting tomorrow I wouldn't lose the day. I was tired and had chills, but I made the trip comfortably in the warm midday sun. The Burgunty camp was a spruced up Russian Army 6 wheel troop transport truck. It was outfitted with bunks, a kitchen table, gas cooking stove, and a wood burning stove. The 6 wheel was very warm and comfortable compared to spike camping in the winter weather. The next morning I felt much better, but my energy levels were not 100%. Gergal had also caught a bug and gestured that his stomach was bothering him. We got a late start that morning and made our way up one of the drainages to look for ibex. We saw many ibex, but no mature males. We returned to camp and waited for the afternoon. In the afternoon we rode up another drainage away from camp. Imediately Gergal spotted two small males bedded on the mountain side across from us. While glassing them I spotted two wolves on the same mountain hunting.

Wolves. One with its back showing on the ridge line and the other just bellow ridge line.


We spotted more females, but no big billies. Norbek decided to move further on by himself.......read with out Jacques and I slowing him down.......to glass for billies. We rode back and when Norbek returned he informed us that he had in fact seen billies and we would go after them first thing in the morning. We were up early the next day and rode just short of the ibex. From there we stalked on foot under the cut river bank in the dark until we were just bellow where we expected the ibex to come down and feed at first light. It was still rather dim and too dark for the camera when Irgiz moved up on the bank to glass above us. I began get a bit concerned when he "hopped" up on top of the bank and squatted there glassing with his binoculars. Sure enough he started gesturing franticly for me to come up and shoot. They had seen him right away and were starting to move up the mountain. I made it up and evaluated the scene. It was a mixed group of females and billies. 300 yards away two of the billies were fair sized. The rest were immature. The two bigger ones were about the same size. One had rather straight horns that hooked at the end and the other had horns that curved back along their entire length. I chose the second and shot him in the shoulder. I heard the bullet hit, but he didn't react. He moved up the mountain with the others and then finally stopped and turned broadside at 400 yards. I shot him again in the same place. After a few steps up the mountain he became unsteady and slid down the mountain a way. We retrieved him out of the rocks and readied him for pictures.

Irgiz, Norbek, Me, Gergal


Ibex are certainly smaller than Argali in both weight and frame. They are short and very compact. I was really struck by their beautiful coat. I also don't remember finding them particularly stinky. Mine had split the top eyelid of his left eye fighting I assume a while ago. It was an interesting animal for sure. I would guess he weighed around 250lbs.



Gergal was a master at caping. With both the ibex and argali he was able to use his fist working with the grains of the muscle fibers to remove the hide without flesh attached. I was amazed. Norbek said this was due to them spending their whole lives skinning sheep. It was obvious this wasn't his first go-round.



Gergal with my ibex horns.


That afternoon Norbek rode my ibex horns, skull, and hide back to base camp, so that they could be processed, boiled, and dried. We waited until mid afternoon and went back out looking for more billies. I suggested to Irgiz that he continue on past us to cover more ground while we glassed another drainage. Jacques, Gergal, and I didn't see any ibex in our drainage. When we met back in camp that night Irgiz informed us that he had spotted a group of all billies a little way past where I had shot my ibex in the morning. The fact that he said they were all billies meant there was some really potential. Large billies tend to avoid groups of females until the rut in December. Billies with female tend to not be big. Also it could possibly be the same group that Matt had seen with the huge billy. When Norbek returned we informed him of the evening's events and prepared for another early morning stalk. The next morning we went after these ibex in the same fashion as the last group the day before. We rode most of the way and then covered the last bit on foot being sure to keep ourselves out of sight under the cut river bank. As light came and the day began to grow brighter there was no sign of the billies. After moving several time to get a better view we finally spotted them making their way up a ridge line farther down the drainage. Irgiz had stopped us a bit short of the billies in the dark that morning. Norbek was beside himself for going back to camp meant that he didn't know where the ibex where that morning and we were not in the right place. We now were faced with two choices. We could go after the billies today or leave them alone and try tomorrow. I decided the smart play was to go for the latter. There were many groups of females in the same general area as the group of billies and there was no garuntee we would be able to get into range without spooking them. It was much safer to put them to bed that night and come back the next morning to ambush them in the dark.

The group of billies moving up the mountain.


When we returned to camp I asked Norbek if he would send someone over to base camp to get more argali meat for dinner that night. They had only brought a little with us and I was really wanting to eat as much as I could before I left. This is a great example of their not anticipating my needs and me being able to amicably request something to see that it is done. If I went back or were giving advice to someone going I would definitely be proactive about communicating expectations and wishes. Just because it seems obvious to you that you would want argali every night for diner doesn't mean that's obvious to them.

Gergal set out for base camp to get argali meet, but returned shortly with Baja. We could tell Gergal looked annoyed. Apparently Bek the owner of the Kyrgyz hunting company who's concession we were hunting had over booked the base camp and he didn't have enough horses to accommodate the last day of my hunt tomorrow and the start of their hunt. I had the only satellite phone in camp, so I used it to call Bek back in Bishkek. Norbek spoke to him first. I was not pleased, but tried my best to keep my cool. He said he needed the horses and my hunt was over. We would need to be back in base camp and ready to leave tomorrow afternoon. After we got off the phone Norbek and I spoke about our options. Tomorrow was the last day of my hunt anyway. The way ibex hunting worked if I didn't shoot one first thing in the morning I pretty much wouldn't get one. So we decided that Jacque and I would stay at that camp with one horse while Norbek, Irgiz, and Gergal returned to camp with the rest of the horses to get the other hunters that had arrived that day out in the field. Once Norbek had sent the other hunters out with Irgiz and Gergal he would return later that night. The next day we would ride out in the dark to try and shoot the big billy. We would still have time to hunt first thing in the morning and get back to base camp in time to leave.

I would like to make it VERY clear that this little fiasco was NOT Arjun or Renaud's fault. This was solely the fault of Bek the owner of the hunting company and concession holder. I'm not going to go into detail, but suffice it to say Renaud was involved in conversations with Bek on this and no one could make him budge. We all agreed that our plan was the best way to make lemonade, so we dealt with the situation and moved on.....

Norbek, Irgiz, Gergal, Baja, and the horses left for base camp. Jaques and I had my horse and lots of time to kill. We cooked argali, onions, and potatoes over the camp stove and ate like kings. That night Norbek returned as promised. Norbek was a hell of a good guy. We had fun talking late into the night. He is really part of a dying generation of Kyrgyz. He was very well cultured and traveled from Russian influence when he was a young man. He traveled around Europe seeing art and listening to music. With the absence of Russians this culture had gone. It was totally lost on Irgiz and Gergal.

The next morning the three of us were up early and had our two horses saddled. I would ride my small horse and Jacques would ride on the back of Norbek's larger horse. We were unable to put the ibex to bed the night before, but we knew about where they would come down from our near miss the day before. A near full moon was in the sky and it lit up the mountains and river bottom like a flair. It was a very cold and clear morning. I really enjoyed the quiet ride interspersed with the clop clop of hooves. We tethered the horses in the river bed and slowly worked our way along the river bottom towards where we expected the ibex to feed. Light came and we again could not find the billies. It was growing later as we made our way a little bit at a time up the drainage. We were seeing lots of ibex further up the drainage including a group of all males, but none near us. I was beginning to think it was time to leave when suddenly Norbek spotted them moving down and to our right above us. We hit the deck and glassed them. Sure enough it was them. They were feeding their way down a wash that would take them behind a small ridge out of sight and finally come out in the grass field up the drainage from us. There were several shooter, but the largest billy was easily 44-47". It was 600 yards away to where they would come out. As soon as the ibex moved out of sight behind the small ridge we made our move. As we were approaching a good shooting point the big ibex came out from behind the ridge and looked at us. I hit the ground, put my bipod out, and cranked my scope to 18x. The range was 540 yards. I found him in my scope and released the safety. The instant my finger made contact with the trigger he walked back behind the ridge and out of sight for ever. Norbek was clearly disappointed that I was going home without him. I was not upset. We had played the game and lost. That's hunting! I assured him I was not upset and thanked him for his effort to ensure that we got out the last morning of my hunt.

Walking back to the horses with ice in my mustache and beard from the cold.




Jacques' back was not happy after the morning's tandem horse ride, so he elected to walk back to Burgunty camp in the hope that walking a bit would loosen him up. We arrived back at the 6 wheel and packed our gear. It was an absolutely beautiful, sunny, and warm day once the sun came over the mountains. I decided to walk my way back to the Ulan River base camp, which was approximately 10km away. I wanted Jacques to take my horse with his hurt back and Norbek who was pushing 60 and a chain smoker wanted me to take his. I refused as Norbek was older and I really did want to get off the horses and enjoy the beautiful day!

Norbek waiting for Jacques to catch up. The drainage on the left side of the mountains leads back to ibex camp.


Getting ready to cross the Naryn looking West.


Looking South across the Naryn towards the Ulan River base camp.


Looking East down the Naryn. This stretch of mountains looks very much like the mountains we rode the day I shot my sheep. You can see how the mountains have benches. We rode the length of the mountainside South of the river along the top bench. The sheep were mostly bedded during the day in the back bowls of the top peaks out of sight from the river valley.


We returned to base camp around noon. Our driver Andre (also Bek's manager) had already arrived and was waiting for us. Jacques and I changed clothes, packed our bags, and had lunch before we left camp. I tipped Sasha the cook, Irgiz, Gergal, and Norbek before leaving. I gave Sasha cash. Norbek got cash and sunglasses (since he broke his on day 2 of the hunt). Irgiz got cash, a head lamp, and gloves (his were pitiful). Gergal mostly got cash since he has a young family and a head lamp. Jacques received cash. Anyone wondering about dollar amounts for reference for their hunt is welcome to PM me. The drive back was beautiful. It was a bright and sunny day in the mid 40s. Andre was a nice enough guy and I enjoyed speaking with him.

We stopped once at a roadside cafe between Lake Issyk Kul and Bishkek for dinner. Finally we made it back to our Dostuk Hotel in Bishkek by 10:30pm. I spent the next 2 days in Bishkek with Mike the interpreter touring around. Bishkek is no Istanbul. It's a run down former Russian city. Concrete is a familiar and common motif. That said the country is beautiful, it's history is deep, the people are friendly, and the food is good to very good depending on what and where you eat. Shopping is somewhat limited in that there's only so much of interest....atleast to me. They have beautiful carvings from argali and ibex horn, but they would never make it through customs. I ended up finding antique silver and turquoise earrings and a bracelet for my girlfriend.

I was flying back to JFK right after hurricane Sandy, so I was a little apprehensive. Especially after calling home and finding out that Matt was stranded in Washington DC for a day due to the storm and his rifle was MIA (He eventually got it back weeks later. Matt had a tough hunt!). Jacques and I were leaving within a few hours of each other the morning of November 5th. Andre loaded our luggage in his vehicle and drove us to the airport early in the morning. I was using the VIP service again with my firearm, so I would be dropped off in a separate location. When we arrived I pulled my bags out of the back and looked for my trophies which would be flying back with me. They weren't there. When I asked Andre where my trophies were he looked at me perplexed and said, "At the office." I asked him why they weren't here ready for me to fly back with them and he said there wasn't time to get my CITES papers for export of my argali, so they would ship them to me. I was red hot mad, but I couldn't do much. I bit my tongue and headed into the VIP lounge. It took me a full day to fly from Bishkek to Istanbul and then Istanbul to JFK. I spent the night in a hotel and spent the next day flying to Minneapolis and then finally Anchorage.

Again I would like to take this opportunity to explain that me not having the argali CITES paper to take my trophies with me was Bek's company's problem and NOT the fault of Renaud or Arjun. To date I have not received my trophies, but I am not worried. Renaud has had his hands full of bad luck. His wife Natalie was his partner and helped him with his company. With her out sick with cancer he had his nephew helping him. He was going to send his nephew to Kyrgyzstan to expedite trophy shipping, but shortly before he was to leave Renaud's nephew was involved in an accident and badly broke his femur requiring several surgeries. Also I am VERY sad to report that Renaud's wife Natalie finally passed on Christmas day. I am more than understanding of the situation. I am sure that Renaud will continue to do everything in his power to get me my trophies as soon as possible when his personal life is a bit more in order. Renaud and Arjun have been in constant contact with me since the hunt and I have full faith this will be sorted out in short order. I very much appreciate their attention and assistance in sorting out this problem and wish Renaud a much happier 2013!!!


Back home before......


......and after.




Lessons for Fellow Hunters:

-Get Kyrgyz cash from and ATM at your hotel to avoid getting ripped off on exchange.

-Take sunglasses.

-Take extra batteries because they can use them even if you don't.

-Have small bills for tips.

-It's a long trip, so plan some down time before the hunt to catch up to speed. Istanbul is fabulous. I could have easily spent a week there. Bishkek isn't beautiful, but it's worth seeing the culture and the people so a day or two on either side of the hunt would not be waisted.

-Take a few horse riding lessons. It's doubtful you'll ride enough to be prepared for the long hours, but you will be able to "operate" a horse and help them adjust your saddle to what you like. The horses are extremely dosile and well behaved. You will ride right up and down mountainsides as well as across some steep terrain. If you need to get off and walk do it.

-Consult your physician about meds to mitigate altitude sickness.

-Have copies of all your CITES, licenses, gun papers, IDs, Passports, and travel documents on you and with a friend at home.

-Get an evacuation plan from Global Rescue. It's easy to get hurt in a car accident, slip in the mountains, or a fall from a horse. In my mind those ARE the biggest physical risks of the hunt. The Kyrgyz people (aside from crazy drivers) are the least of your concerns!

-Be prepared for a few things to not go as planned. It's going to happen. If nothing major goes wrong then be happy and enjoy your hunt. That's a theme I've heard over and over from experienced Asian hunters. If you're a type A hot head with a temper when you don't get what you want.....this hunt is not for you! If you are easy going and realize this is as much a cultural experience, adventure, and expedition as it is a hunt be prepared for the hunt of your life! I really mean that!

-This is not a plush hunt. Africa it is not, but the rewards for going are more than worth it! The people, the mountains, and the animals more than make up for any physical hardships or bumps in the road.

-The Kyrgyz are NOT Western minded. They're not in a hurry and likely won't anticipate all of your needs. Don't be afraid to POLITELY suggest your wishes. Also if you don't like what's going on or are concerned about a plan like I was several times during the hunt don't be afraid to POLITELY suggest your plan of action. You are a guest as well as a paying client. In Asian culture being a guest is a big deal! As their guest they will do what they can to accommodate your requests and needs within reason.

-Consult your physician about antibiotics for colds or infections as well as anti-diahrea meds.

-Hunt with a Western guide! I would STRONGLY encourage any first time hunter to Kyrgyzstan to hunt with a western minded guide. The Kyrgyz are friendly people and you can be sure they know the area and the animals better than your guide. The problem is you can't be sure they will give you reliable trophy judging information. Aside from it leading to the inocent taking of an immature animal I can also see this as being an area open for abuse and exploitation. A hunter is hunting only with Kyrgyz guides and is told to shoot an ibex. After the shot they find the ibex is small. The guides then either suggest a bribe to make it go away, or they say he shot the wrong one and then suggest a bribe to make it go away. I could see this as a potential problem. I did not run into this, but I think having a Western minded guide would cut down on potential shenanigans. Another reason is communication. You really need to know which animal you should shoot and how far away that animal is. Having someone help you with that is crucial.

-Book the hunt with a booking agent or outfitter and make sure they book lots of hunts per year. If you have problems with the Kyrgyz hunting company you darn well want to have someone working for you who has a future business relationship with that company. I can't even begin to imagine the futility of booking a hunt directly through a local company or through a fly by night booking agent who books an ibex hunt every few years and then trying to resolve problems after the hunt with the Kyrgyz hunting company! Even with the issues I had with Bek's hunting company I still think they are probably one of the better organizations there. This just highlights the importance of having a team of experienced people who have a strong business relationship with that hunting company. I'm sure there are others, but I would recommend Arjun and Renaud. Also if I had all the time and money in the world I would do the hunt again and book again with Arjun and Renaud.

-Take an extra scope for your gun and tools to switch out scopes.

-If you have a high quality spotting scope bring it as long as you aren't hunting with a Western guide who has one.

-Bring extra binoculars if you can. The Kyrgyz's optics are archaic at best. They have great eyes and will typically spot things long before you will. Part of it is you will be so concentrated on riding and controlling your horse that you will be less focused on looking around.

-Take extra flashlights and/or better yet head lamps. The Kyrgyz won't have them and they make great tips.

-A scabbard is nice for long rides from camp to camp, but during the day while riding around hunting a good rifle sling is a must!

-Manage your water access. Either have some with you (really good idea!) or make sure the Kyrgyz brought enough for you.



Gear Report:

Rifle - Bansner Ultimate Ovis 7mm wsm

Scope - Swarovski Z5 3.5-18 with ballistic turret

Spotting Scope - Leica Televid 65mm straight with 25-50x wide angle lens

Tripod/Head - Giottos & Gitzo carbon fiber

Binoculars - Leica Ultravid HD 10x42

Range Finder - Leica CRF1600

Bipod - Harris

Scabbard - Boyt

Rifle Sling

Boots - La Sportiva Nepal with kevlar core laces added

Gaiters - Outdoor Research

Socks - Darn Tough wool

Base Layers - Minus 33 marino wool

Pant - Mountain Equipment Liskamm

Top - Mountain Equipment marino wool

Rain Gear/ Wind Breaker - Kuiu

Outer Insulated - Barney's Brooks Range pant & coat

Snow Camo - Naked North Cammo. It was very light weight and pulled on and off easily over my boots which is very important.

Hat - I only used a Sporthill 3SP beanie, but I had and would suggest taking a balaclava as well. Also I didn't bring and wish I had a ball cap.

Gloves - Light weight X-country Toyo ski glove and Mountain Equipment heavy weight mit and lobster glove set

Pack - Osprey Aether 60. It's a lot of pack and probably bigger than you need, but I used it. It's nice to have the space to store all your optics when you travel and take it on with you as a carry on. Also you can store all your gear for a day of hunting in it and tie it to the saddle behind you. That's what I did. You certainly don't want to ride with your pack on your back. Another alternative would be bring saddle bags and use them instead with a very small back pack for clothes, snacks, and water.

Water - I had an MRS micro filter pump. I also had an insulated water bladder system and insulated hose. The hose and mouth piece froze a couple times on me. It should be fine on an earlier hunt. Later hunts should use a large mouthed nalgene bottle turned upside down to avoid freezing the opening shut.

Sleeping Pad - Thermarest NeoAir

Sleeping Bag - Barney's +10 degree F +850 fill down bag with Sea to Summit waterproof compression sack. I was a bit cool the one night in fly camp. The problem is I bought this bag to be slightly on the small side to save weight on warmer back pack hunts. I think had the bag been a bit bigger there wouldn't have been compression of the bag near my feet and I would have stayed warm. A 10 degree bag would likely be fine for most people on a earlier hunt. For the time of year I was there I would recommend a high quality 0 degree bag as a minimum. If you are typically cold, sleep cold, or have problems with circulation perhaps a -10 or -20 would be better for a colder hunt. That said in the late November hunts IF the snow is too deep or definitely the winter hunts you will stay at base camp or in a heated 6 wheel and hunt from there daily.

Taxidermy - Diagram of how your taxidermist wants you skinning done if needed, a couple small light weight Victorynox type pairing knives, and a small light weight V type sharpener.

Head Light - Petzel

Flash Light - Small light weight flash light

Parachute Cord

Duct Tape

Altitude meds

Antibiotics

Antidiahria meds

First Aid Kit (used on horse)

Ballistics Chart for rifle

Satellite Phone

Snack bars

Stuff Sacks

Fuji waterproof digital camera & Cannon 7D

Nikon lens cleaning pen

extra batteries

sunglasses

watch with alarm

foot care


Brett

for the love of god ppppppppplllllllllleeeeeeasssseeeeeee POST SOME PICTURES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brett:
Some pics or I want my book back and I won't let you shoot my 4-bore with 16 drams any more!!!
Cal

Brett:
If no pics this week then we will all assume you never went hunting and spent the two weeks in....rehab(?)!
Cheers, mate, and see you at the gun show the 24th.
Cal

Tick, Tock.....

Yep, I'm with Cal, pics or it didn't happen. I've got a buddy who did a great safari in Zambia only to lose a bunch of film and have his heads stolen. When he's in the right mood we give him a rough time that there's no evidence that he ever hunted anything over there.

Hope it's not the case, but I'm thinking Brett got on the vodka too early and was still drunk when he claimed that the Marco Polo and Ibex were supposedly "down". 

I have heard all the warnings/horror stories about the dangers of getting into a drinking game with the Kyrgies. 

We better give him a break, the poor guy might be in rehab right now!

Brett, our prayers are with you and get well soon. 

I've seen pictures but I'm trying to remember if Brett was in any of them.

Out of rehab and my report is progressing.....ever so slowly.....

Brett

quote:

Originally posted by Brett Adam Barringer:
Out of rehab and my report is progressing.....ever so slowly.....

Brett

Keep in mind some of us are "older" and may not live long enough at this rate.

Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving
Jim

So, maybe this was the best hunt of your life? You are killing us while we wait for you to scratch out your story. How about a picture or two from your hunt so we can have something to be Thankful for!

Matt Moore

Happy Thanksgiving to All

Not funny Brett, our friendship rating is faltering.

quote:

Originally posted by Jerry Huffaker:
Not funny Brett, our friendship rating is faltering.

Especially since he's not considering a full body mount on the Marco Polo.

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:

quote:

Originally posted by Jerry Huffaker:
Not funny Brett, our friendship rating is faltering.

Especially since he's not considering a full body mount on the Marco Polo.

Brett Adam Barringer,

it's starting

quote:

Originally posted by Jerry Huffaker:

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:

quote:

Originally posted by Jerry Huffaker:
Not funny Brett, our friendship rating is faltering.

Especially since he's not considering a full body mount on the Marco Polo.

Brett Adam Barringer,

it's starting

We're still semi-patiently waiting!

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Brooks:
We're still semi-patiently waiting!

I talked with him yesterday. He's got a lot on his plate right now with local SCI stuff. I'm sure he will get to it and when he does it will be as detailed as his Brook's report from last year.

Cheers
Jim

I've got it figured out at last.
Brett didn't go hunting. Rather he donated the hunt money to Obama's campaign. The Democrats worked on this coverup.
Cal

......and with that......

Now for the love of God leave me alone until I can finish my report!!!


Brett

That is an outstanding MP, did you shoot him in the horn or did it fall down the mountain?

That really is a great sheep, especially for Kyrgyzstan! Can't wait to read the rest.

Greg

Sweet!!!!!!

Now if we can get the rest of the report quickly....

Kidding!

quote:

Originally posted by 505 gibbs:
That is an outstanding MP, did you shoot him in the horn or did it fall down the mountain?

The horn while he was running at 300+ yards. It's a great story. I don't want to spoil it.

Brett

Awww it's got to be photoshopped! Few pics and no story line..

quote:

Originally posted by Brett Adam Barringer:

quote:

Originally posted by 505 gibbs:
That is an outstanding MP, did you shoot him in the horn or did it fall down the mountain?

The horn while he was running at 300+ yards. It's a great story. I don't want to spoil it.

Brett

Looks like you ran over the body with the truck after that. Or were the Kergies really that hungry?

Love the color of the coat on that Ibex.

Was worth the wait.
Good job, Brett.
Cal

Wonderful, wonderful trophies!
Congrats on a great result. I've been planning to book a similar hunt for several years. "Smaller hunts" keep popping up, so I haven't been able to save up, but now I think I must start

Gear report pretty much up.

Brett

Great story so far...Look forward to reading the rest!

Sure that MP wasn't a wolf kill?

quote:

Originally posted by bwanamrm:
Sure that MP wasn't a wolf kill?

The piling on never stops.

Awesome Marco Polo!

Congrats Brett!!

Your right Brett, those are HUGE aloe plants.

I knew you would do it !!! Great job but waiting for your book is killing us .

Looking forward to a private showing!